RUBY GLAZED CHICKEN IN SMOKY POMEGRANATE SAUCE (THE SPLENDID TABLE)

RUBY GLAZED CHICKEN IN SMOKY POMEGRANATE SAUCE (THE SPLENDID TABLE) image

Yield 4-6 people

Number Of Ingredients 16

Ingredients

Marinade:
1-½ tightly-packed teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
2 large cloves garlic
1/4 medium onion
1 tablespoon good tasting extra-virgin olive oil
2-¼ to 2-½ pounds boneless chicken thighs, or boneless chicken breasts
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
Cooking and Sauce:
3 tablespoons good tasting extra-virgin olive oil
2 large bay leaves
1 thick slice bacon, finely chopped (or more to taste)
¼ cup dry white wine
1-¼ cups unsweetened pomegranate juice (make sure the juice isn't sweetened)
2 generous pinches dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons pine nuts, or coarse chopped whole almonds, toasted
1 tightly-packed tablespoon Italian parsley leaves, finely chopped

Steps:

1. If possible, flavor the chicken a day ahead. Mince together in a food processor the thyme, garlic, and onion with the 1T of oil. Rub seasoning over chicken, dusting lightly with salt and pepper. Stack pieces one atop the other, cover, and refrigerate until 30 minutes before cooking. Or just toss the chicken with the seasoning and set aside while you prep the rest of the ingredients. 2. About 20 minutes before serving, line up all the other ingredients. Heat 3 T oil in a 12-inch straight-sided sauté pan over medium high. Spread the chicken pieces out in the pan with all their seasonings and the bay leaves. Keep them from touching. Brown on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes per side. 3. Turn heat to medium low, sprinkle the meat with the bacon, and cook 10 minutes, turning once or twice, or until pieces are just firm when pressed. Check with an instant reading thermometer inserted in the center of a piece for a reading of 165° to 170°F. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter and keep warm. 4. Make the pan sauce by setting the pan back over medium high heat. Stir in wine, simmering to almost nothing while scraping up brown glaze from the bottom of the pan. Add 1 cup of the pomegranate juice and the sugar. Reduce by two-thirds, stirring often. Lower heat to medium- low, return the chicken to the pan, coating pieces with the sauce, and sprinkling with the last ¼ cup of pomegranate juice. 5. Cover and heat through for just 2 minutes. Serve immediately, arranged on a hot platter, napped with the sauce, and sprinkled with the nuts and parsley. THOUGHTS FROM LYNNE Don't add the wine and the pomegranate juice to the pan at once, get it hot and then use that as the sauce. Why not? Because by boiling down the wine, you get rid of most of its alcohol while building deep flavor layers. The same thing happens with boiling down the pomegranate juice... or vinegars, broth, fruit juices, etc. Boil down to almost nothing--you can always dilute if need be